The year 2012 is just about over, and fortunately the world did not end. So, I guess we should take a look back at the stories we covered this year. From the best and worst viral marketing campaigns, to our most shared articles, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Best Viral Campaigns
Prometheus
The Amazing Spider-Man
Least Effective Viral Campaign
Men in Black III
Most Disappointing Viral Campaigns
Total Recall
Looper
Other Notable Campaigns
The Devil Inside – Having the film end with a link to a viral website didn’t win many people over. Their viral video for the DVD release was met with a similar chilly response.
Sound of My Voice – This indie film about a cult had some eerie videos and a good presence at WonderCon this year.
The Hunger Games – This started out promising, but it went downhill pretty quickly as Caleb’s review explains.
The Avengers – While Marvel continues to stay away from complex ARGs, we did get a viral website for S.H.I.E.L.D. and a countdown for the Comic-Con screening for the short “Item 47”.
Ted – Along with a game and Facebook App, Ted himself was on social media, making the hilarious and vulgar jokes you hope he would.
The Dark Knight Rises – So, we have to talk about this film. With no 42 Entertainment to deliver a cohesive ARG, Warner Bros. teamed up with a bunch of brands and just spewed out a series of random marketing. Some of it wasn’t bad, but we were all spoiled by the “Why So Serious?” campaign.
The Bourne Legacy – The Operation Intel deaddrop missions were more contests than ARG. Could have done more with the source material.
The Campaign – The Facebook-based campaign was fun and not too complicated, which was perfect for this comedy.
The Expendables 2 – This campaign was all over the place, but each component was fun on its own. The villain’s Tumblr page was probably the best part.
Robot & Frank – This indie flick about a robot helping a retired jewel thief on a new job has Tumblr with some cute ads for the robot.
Branded – The simple viral had a lot to offer in content, though it could have played out the narrative and discovery better.
Resident Evil: Retribution – The viral website has a nice look, but doesn’t offer much to fans.
Dredd – The Dredd Report was a clever way to provide viral content and related stories from the real world, but considering how the film floundered at the box office, they probably should have done an ARG.
Paranormal Activity 4 – We completely missed this viral that crossed multiple social platforms and created a narrative that was more compelling than the film itself.
Seven Psychopaths – This was probably my favorite to campaign to fly under the radar. There were a few classic viral elements surrounding the villain’s missing dog, and it was pretty funny.
Wreck-It Ralph – While Disney seemed to give up on Brave, the marketing for this film saw real versions of each of the featured games, as well as other fun elements.
Skyfall – Another film that is ripe for an in-depth ARG, Skyfall only went as far as one viral website that looked promising, but pretty much went nowhere.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – While I think fans would go berserk for an ARG based around Middle Earth, we were stuck with contests and New Zealand tourism ads.
Antiviral – This film has only opened in festivals, but its in-depth viral website is intriguing.
Television Shows – The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad both continued to dominate the viral scene on the small screen, thanks in part to AMC’s battle with DISH. While Alcatraz didn’t make a splash in the ratings, it wasn’t for a lack of marketing.
Our Most-Shared Stories
– Strange Noises Heard Around The World Could Have Scientific Explanation
– LeVar Burton Gets Control Of @ReadingRainbow In Record Time
– “Sherlock” Fans Create DIY Guerilla Marketing Campaign “Believe In Sherlock”
– “The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego” To Recreate Apocalypse In Petco Park
– Watch A 25 Minute Fan-Made Super Preview Of “The Amazing Spider-Man”
– You Had One Job, Sony! “Elysium” And “RoboCop” Each Pushed Back Several Months
– Horror Short Stories On Reddit To Become Movie
Everything Else This Year
This year, like each before it, saw an expansion into viral marketing and socia media for films. Almost every film had either a Facebook App, Tumblr page, or some other alternative way to connect with fans. The mobile platforms were also embraced, especially by Disney with their interactive story books for iPad. We also saw some viral marketing that didn’t quite fit the mold. No one still fully understands Neill Blomkamp’s AGM Heartland videos. Intel and Toshiba came back with their web series The Beauty Inside, which they ended a lot better than last year’s Inside. Bryan Singer’s H+ The Digital Series is still going on, but has been losing viewers as it progresses in complexity.
Fans made a big splash this year, and we tried to cover as much of it as possible. There were several fan experiences/camps, including a few involving zombies, werewolves, and even Hellboy. In fact, zombies had a great year. Read all our articles about the undead here.
MovieViral expanded our content this year by adding a few features including YouTube Tuesday and Social Media Monthly. We also brought back ViralCast sporadically for those who want to hear our sweet angelic voices. As I personally have become more addicted to reddit, we have been able to mine some great stories and bits from there, so look forward to more of that next year. Finally, I want to thank 42 Entertainment for including a quote from us on their revamped website.
2013 and Beyond
There were several upcoming films that started their campaigns this year, so we don’t want to jinx anything by talking about them now. See our sidebar for the campaigns we are covering, or click below for a list that includes films that might have a viral campaign.
1952 | 2088 | After Earth | Carrie | Elysium | Europa Report | Mama | Man of Steel | Monsters University | Pacific Rim | RoboCop | Side Effects | Star Trek Into Darkness | Stoker
Thanks for sharing a great 2012 with us. We will continue to look to improve and bring you all the news you care about. Please leave a comment below about your favorite stories of the year, or give us a suggestion for the future!